In a speech
on November 9, laying out her priorities, Ms. Curran has talked about laying
the ground work for establishing the position of a ‘Chief Technology Officer
for NZ’.

The Chief Technology Officer will work collaboratively
across government, with Ministers and officials, and with a range of other stakeholders.
He/ she will be accountable to the Prime Minister and to the Minister for
Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media, and Government Digital
Services, and will provide independent expert advice to Ministers and senior
leaders on digital issues.

With a high level of expertise in their field, the CTO will
have the ability to influence a range of different groups – from government and
industry to wider society. He/she is also expected to have the passion and
drive to instigate action, along with strong foresight and strategic
capabilities, to ensure that New Zealand has the right foundations in place to
seize the benefits, and mitigate the challenges, of increasing technological
change.

The CTO will be
responsible for preparing and overseeing a national digital architecture, or
roadmap, for the next five to ten years. The immediate priority for the
CTO will be to lead work, and advise government, on a Digital Strategy for New
Zealand. This strategy will set out how New Zealand can respond to the
challenges of emerging and future technology, build its digital economy, and
achieve digital inclusion. The Ardern Coalition Government has specifically
stated an aim to close the digital divide by 2020 and it has committed to the
objective of ICT being the second largest contributor to GDP by 2025.

“We need to respond to the opportunities and challenges of
our changing digital world. This position is critical to ensuring we can
use and develop digital technologies for social prosperity, economic
productivity, and for the good of all New Zealanders,” Ms Curran said.

“In particular, I see the Chief Technology Officer working
on issues such as improving digital equality, protecting citizens’ rights
online, and building a connected nation, alongside the Digital
Economy and Digital Inclusion Advisory Group and the other Advisory Groups
that I have already signalled I will be establishing,” she added.

Further information about the Chief Technology Officer
position, including Terms of Reference and the application form, is available here.
Applications close on 15 January 2018.

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